Last season, you might recall an incident that occurred involving NHL linesman Dan Kelly and Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting, in which Kelly had been in the process of escorting Bunting off the ice before forcefully shoving him down the tunnel.
This wasn't Kelly's only link to the Leafs, as he was also suspended 10 games back in 2016 for delivering a violent check to the head of then Maple Leafs prospect Andreas Johnsson during the Calder Cup playoffs. Kelly was a member of the New Jersey Devils organization at the time.
In a decision that is surely not going to sit well with any fans of the Leafs, Kelly has officially been promoted by the NHL, landing a job as a full-time NHL official beginning this season.
Gary Bettman continues to show that he simply just doesn't get it. He has once again failed to find the pulse of the NHL's rabid fanbase. With so much focus last season on questionable officiating, you'd have thought that he'd have pursued someone with a little more integrity. Clearly Bettman has missed the mark once again and the fans are going to be the ones who suffer because of it.
